Device for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects from powdery building material

ABSTRACT

Methods of additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object include receiving manufacturing data from a memory chip physically associated with an exchangeable container configured for use with a system for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, and controlling a first operation comprising an operation of an active element of the exchangeable container and/or a second operation comprising an operation of a transporting path configured to transport the exchangeable container within the system for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, in which controlling the first operation and/or the second operation is based at least in part on an object to be and/or being additively manufactured using the exchangeable container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/312,175, filed Nov. 17, 2016, which was a U.S. 371 National Stageentry of International Application Serial No. PCT/DE2015/100169, filedApr. 23, 2015, which claims priority to German Application No. 10 2014007 408.0, filed May 21, 2014, the contents of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety as if set forth verbatim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described withreference to the figures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a device according to thepresent disclosure with a plurality of transporting paths, processingstations and storage positions;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an exchangeable container with twoindicated positions of a readable memory chip;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of an exchangeable containerwith a memory chip incorporated in a powder bed;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional representation through a buildingchamber with an object built up therein, to which a memory chip isfastened by means of a connecting web.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a device for the additivemanufacturing of three-dimensional objects from powdery buildingmaterial by introducing radiation energy. Such devices are referred toin particular as laser sintering or laser melting machines and have ahousing with a process chamber, in which a building space or anexchangeable container with a height-adjustable building platform isarranged.

During the building operation, a thin layer of powdery building materialis applied to the building platform and subsequently solidified regionby region in accordance with a prescribed structure of the component tobe produced. This operation is continued by newly coating the previouspowder layer or solidified partial layer each time until thethree-dimensional component is completed in a layered manner of buildingunder the effect of radiation.

In the case of such devices, it has already become known to useso-called exchangeable containers, which can be moved into a processchamber in order to carry out the building operation and, aftercompletion of the building operation, can be removed again from theprocess chamber with the object located in it. These exchangeablecontainers are then brought into a so-called unpacking station orfurther processing station and the workpiece is further processedappropriately there.

Such a device is disclosed for example by DE 10 2009 036153 A1.

The present disclosure addresses the problem of developing a device insuch a way that, after the building operation, an assignment to acustomer, an analysis and/or further transport and/or specific furtherprocessing of the workpiece can be performed at other stations on anautomated, object-individualized basis.

This problem is solved by providing a memory chip, which can be removedwith the exchangeable container and/or with the built object from theprocess chamber of the device, is assigned to the object, can be read bymeans of an electronic reading device and has stored on it manufacturingdata belonging to the additive manufacturing process, subsequentprocessing steps and/or following processing stations and/or forautomatically storing a building record and/or for controlling items ofprocessing equipment, transporting paths and/or storage positions.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the object manufactured inthe device is provided with a memory chip, which is either integrated inthe exchangeable container or detachably or undetachably fastened to itor else lies in the unsolidified building material within the buildingchamber, or even is connected to the object by an additive solidifyingstep or is arranged in a building platform or supporting structure. Inthis chip there may firstly be input by a writing device building datathat are suitable for undoing the building operation that has beenperformed in the device, in the sense of “reverse engineering”, in orderto establish whether the object manufactured in the device could forexample have internal structural faults and the like. Building data arefor example the power of the laser, coating data, atmospheric data inthe building chamber or the temperature, but in particular also moltenpool temperatures or molten pool sizes in the region of the focal pointof the laser on the powder layer, or other data that are suitable forproviding information about a building operation that has already beencarried out.

In addition, customer information may be stored in the same chip, forexample a customer number, manufacturing data, delivery date anddelivery location. Here, too, there are no limits to customer ordelivery data.

It is also possible to use the chip for controlling subsequentprocessing steps, if the manufactured object is for example subjected toa special surface processing or is to be transported to an engravingdevice. Processing equipment following the manufacturing device, such asmilling stations, thermal treatment stations, polishing stations,handling stations, an optical measuring station or else a disinfectionstation for the disinfecting treatment of the component and the like,may be automatically controlled by the chip.

The transporting path to such processing equipment that has to becovered between the actual manufacturing device and the processingdevices may likewise be traveled specifically by the memory chip, sothat manual intervention is not required during the transport of theobject to further processing stations. In the end, it is also possibleto store on the chip a position in a storage area that is thenautomatically moved to by a transporting device. If the chip is an RFIDchip, when someone enters the storage space an inventory can beimmediately compiled by an RFID reading device and it can be establishedwhich objects that have already been manufactured are where in thestorage space and which objects are to be retrieved and delivered at acertain point in time.

Finally, it is also possible within the scope of the present disclosureto use the memory chip for controlling active elements of theexchangeable container that is provided with the memory chip. Inparticular, drive motors for moving the exchangeable container,servomotors for the height adjustment of the building platform, heatingelements, cooling elements, ventilating motors, suction extractionequipment and the like that are integrated in the exchangeable containercan be controlled. Since the memory chip can be programmed individuallyfor each building operation, the control of the active elements of theexchangeable container can be adapted precisely to the building processand subsequent treatment steps.

All of these data can be recorded on one and the same chip, it alsobeing within the scope of the present disclosure however to provide aplurality of readable memory chips that can be provided for theexchangeable container or the built project and can be removed with thelatter from the process chamber of the device. The programming may beperformed in the device itself, but it is also possible to providepreprogrammed chips, which are already fully or partially preprogrammedand for example are then just loaded with the manufacturing data.

The laser sintering or laser melting machine may be provided with aninput device, for example a card reader or some other input device thatis suitable for programming the memory chip more or less completely.

After the manufacturing operation, the exchangeable container is movedout of the device and can be brought on intended transporting paths tosuch other processing stations that are stored on the memory chip as anintermediate station or destination station. An intermediate stationwould be for example an intermediate processing station, a destinationstation would be a storage location.

In the laser sintering or laser melting device and in other processingstations, such as for example milling stations or thermal treatmentstations, or else on sections of the route of the exchangeable containeror of the object between the device and the other processing stations orstorage sites, electronic reading devices that interact with the memorychip may be arranged, these being suitable for controlling divertingequipment, in order that the object or the exchangeable container istaken to the correct station.

In principle it is also possible to couple with the memory chip aprocessor that interacts with at least one sensor element inside theexchangeable container. As a result, physical data, such as pressure,temperature, time, acceleration values and the like, can be established,in order to record on the memory chip whether after the manufacturingoperation the object was affected by any external circumstances thatlead to the object being damaged. An acceleration sensor may for exampledetect a heavy collision, with the potential to lead to breakage orpartial breakage of an object.

The device 1 represented in FIG. 1 serves for manufacturingthree-dimensional objects 2 from powdery building material 3 byintroducing radiation energy. It is in particular a laser sintering orlaser melting device. Accommodated in a housing 4 is a process chamber5, in which a building space or an exchangeable container 6 is arranged,with a height-adjustable building platform to which the powdery buildingmaterial intended for solidifying by means of radiation energy can beapplied.

It is also shown in FIG. 1 that, along with the actual manufacturingdevice, also provided are other processing stations 7, storage stations8, at least one unpacking station 9, a testing station 10 and forexample an engraving station 11, which are all connected to one anotherby means of transporting paths 12 in such a way that either theexchangeable container 6 or the object 2 freed from the powder bed canbe transported to the various processing stations 7, storage locations 8or other positions along the transporting paths 12. Automaticallycontrolled transporting carriages, conveyor belts or other transportingmechanisms that are known as prior art and are suitable may be used forthis.

In order to control the movements to the various transporting paths 12or items of processing equipment or storage positions, either a memorychip 16 is provided, which can be removed with the exchangeablecontainer 6 or with the built object 2 from the process chamber of thedevice 1, can be read by means of an electronic reading device 15 andhas stored on it manufacturing data belonging to the additivemanufacturing process and/or subsequent processing steps or theprocessing stations for automatically controlling processing equipment,transporting paths and/or storage positions.

The assignment between the exchangeable container 6 and the memory chip16 may be performed in various ways.

In FIG. 1 it is shown that the memory chip 16 is attached to an outerwall of the exchangeable container 6.

In FIG. 2 it is indicated that the memory chip 16 can be inserted intopocket-like recesses 17 of the exchangeable container 6 and for examplebe locked there.

In FIG. 3 it is shown that it is also adequate to place the memory chip16 into the powder bed 18 of the building material 3 and leave it there,so that the memory chip 16 can be removed with the exchangeablecontainer 6 from the process chamber. For temporarily fixing the memorychip 16, it may for example be introduced into a housing with anchoringprojections that extend into the powder bed.

Another possibility for the arrangement of the memory chip 16 isschematically represented in FIG. 4. There, the memory chip 16 isconnected to the object 2 by means of a web 25, so that a fixedassignment between the memory chip 16 and the object 2 is retained evenafter unpacking the object from the building material 3. It is withinthe scope of the present disclosure to provide along with the memorychip 16, which is connected to the object, one or more memory chips 26in connection with the exchangeable container 6. The memory chips 26 mayfor example be used for influencing diverting equipment of thetransporting paths 12; by contrast, the memory chip 16 on the object 2contains customer data, process data, such as for example manufacturingtemperatures, molten pool temperatures and the like. It is of coursepossible to record all data on both memory chips 16, 26 and read and usethe data appropriately.

In FIG. 4 it is shown that the memory chip can also be accommodated in abuilding plate 27, onto which powdery building material 3 is depositedin layers during the building operation and solidified there, in orderto build the first layers of the object 2.

In FIG. 1 it is also shown that in the process chamber 5 there may beprovided a programming device 30, which is in connection with an inputunit 31 in order to load appropriate data onto the memory chip 16.

It is also within the scope of the present disclosure to connect to thememory chip 16 at least one processor 40, which interacts with at leastone sensor element inside the exchangeable container 6, in order forexample to register or report harmful accelerations, temperatures orother influences on the object 2.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

-   1 Device-   2 Object-   3 Building material-   4 Housing-   5 Process chamber-   6 Exchangeable container-   7 Processing station-   8 Storage position-   9 Unpacking station-   10 Testing station-   11 Engraving station-   12 Transporting path-   15 Reading device-   16 Memory chip-   25 Web-   26 Memory chip-   27 Building plate-   30 Programming device-   31 Input unit-   40 Processor

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of additively manufacturing athree-dimensional object, the method comprising: receiving manufacturingdata from a memory chip physically associated with an exchangeablecontainer configured for use with a system for additively manufacturingthree-dimensional objects; and controlling a first operation comprisingan operation of an active element of the exchangeable container and/orcontrolling a second operation comprising an operation of a transportingpath configured to transport the exchangeable container within thesystem for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects; whereincontrolling the first operation and/or controlling the second operationis based at least in part on an object to be and/or being additivelymanufactured using the exchangeable container.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the active element of the exchangeable container comprises: aservomotor, a heating element, a cooling element, a ventilating motor,or a suction extraction element.
 3. The method of claim 1 whereincontrolling the first operation comprises: adjusting a height of abuilding platform within the exchangeable container using the activeelement of the exchangeable container.
 4. The method of claim 1 whereincontrolling the first operation comprises: heating the exchangeablecontainer using the active element of the exchangeable container; and/orcooling the exchangeable container using the active element of theexchangeable container.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling thefirst operation comprises: venting the exchangeable container using theactive element of the exchangeable container.
 6. The method of claim 1comprising: controlling a first operation based at least in part on themanufacturing data from the memory chip; and/or controlling the secondoperation based at least in part on the manufacturing data from thememory chip.
 7. The method of claim 1 comprising: determining the objectto be and/or being additively manufactured using the exchangeablecontainer based at least in part on the manufacturing data from thememory chip.
 8. The method of claim 1 comprising: associating themanufacturing data from the memory chip with the object to be and/orbeing additively manufactured using the exchangeable container.
 9. Themethod of claim 1 comprising: configuring the manufacturing data on thememory chip for controlling the first operation; and/or configuring themanufacturing data on the memory chip for controlling the secondoperation.
 10. The method of claim 1, comprising controlling the firstoperation during an additive manufacturing process and/or one or moresubsequent processing steps.
 11. The method of claim 1, comprisingcontrolling the second operation during movement of the exchangeablecontainer along the transporting path.
 12. The method of claim 1,wherein the transporting path is configured to move the exchangeablecontainer to one or more of a plurality of locations, the plurality oflocations comprising one or more devices for additively manufacturingthree-dimensional objects, one or more processing stations, and/or oneor more storage stations.
 13. The method of claim 12, comprising:reading the manufacturing data from the memory chip using one or moreelectronic reading devices, wherein the one or more electronic readingdevices are located at a device for additively manufacturingthree-dimensional objects, at a processing station, at a storagestation, and/or along the transporting path.
 14. The method of claim 12,wherein the one or more processing stations comprises: a millingstation, a thermal treatment station, a polishing station, a handlingstation, an optical measuring station, and/or a disinfection station.15. The method of claim 1, comprising: identifying the exchangeablecontainer from among a plurality of exchangeable containers based atleast in part on the manufacturing data from the memory chip.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, comprising: deploying the exchangeable containerfrom a storage site.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling thesecond operation comprises controlling a transporting mechanism.
 18. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the transporting mechanism comprises acarriage, a conveyor belt, or a diverting device.
 19. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the memory chip is integrated within the exchangeablecontainer or detachably or undetachably fastened to the exchangeablecontainer, and/or disposed within a portion of unsolidified buildingmaterial within the exchangeable container, and/or connected to orintegrated within a building plate disposed within the exchangeablecontainer.
 20. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executableinstructions, which when executed by a processor associated with asystem for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, causesthe processor to perform a method comprising: receiving manufacturingdata from a memory chip physically associated with an exchangeablecontainer configured for use with a system for additively manufacturingthree-dimensional objects; and controlling a first operation comprisingan operation of an active element of the exchangeable container and/orcontrolling a second operation comprising an operation of a transportingpath configured to transport the exchangeable container within thesystem for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects; whereincontrolling the first operation and/or controlling the second operationis based at least in part on an object to be and/or being additivelymanufactured using the exchangeable container.